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Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR DX — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published US20090190220A1 optical prescription (14 elements in 10 groups) with a 24.3 mm entrance pupil and 0.29 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | US20090190220A1 · 14 elements in 10 groups | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 24.3 mm (at f/3.5) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 92% at f/3.5 · -0.1 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 16° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 5.19 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 86.0 mm (+1.1%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 76 cm (4.84 m – 5.60 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.29 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR DX produce?
Wide open at f/3.5, the Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR DX has a 24.3 mm entrance pupil (85 mm ÷ 3.5) and 92% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-0.1 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 5.19 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 76 cm (4.84 m to 5.60 m) with a 16° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR DX show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent US20090190220A1, tracing the focusing group at 5.19 m gives an effective framing focal length of 86.0 mm (+1.1% vs. the nominal 85 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR DX?
The patent prescription (US20090190220A1) specifies 14 lens elements in 10 groups. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-s
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4 G FX
- Nikon AF 85mm f/1.4D IF
- Nikon AF 85mm f/1.8D
- Nikon 85mm f/2.8 PC-E FX
- Nikon Nikkor SW 90mm f/4.5
Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Fujifilm XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro
- Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
- Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4
- Nikon 50mm f/2
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.